After the Preparation and Take-Off, the first stop on our family road trip across the Central and Western United States was Turner Falls Park. Just across the Texas border into Oklahoma, and a few miles north of the Red River, Turner Falls is nestled into the Arbuckle Mountains.

And forgive me, but we covered a lot of ground (literally and figuratively) at Turner Falls Park, so there are a LOT of photos (and a video at the end).

We drove into the park around 11:00 pm, so there was little activity other than unpacking the Suburban and sorting who-sleeps-where in the simple, one-room cabin we rented.

After unpacking, showering and settling-in we wound-down by reading, or as the case with Emelie – editing video.

I was the last one awake when I turned-out my bedside lamp at 1:30 AM (I am reading Kathryn Stockett’s latest book, The Help and seriously can’t put it down.), but I wasn’t worried – assuming I’d get at least 6 or 7 hours of sleep.

Riiiiiiight.

Both Meredith and Kenny woke about 5 hours later ready to climb some cliffs.

*YAWN*

Thankfully, they didn’t have far to go.

We simply booted them out the back door of the cabin where, just across a natural creek, were some cliffs ripe for the climbing.

This is where I will confess to being overcome with anxiety. Within the span of 10 seconds no less than a dozen “momma fears” ravaged any level of peace I had when I awoke. Still, in the spirit of adventure and childhood joy, I quenched the savage beast of worry with a prayer and went back into the cabin to sort out breakfast.

Emelie slid out of bed a bit later and joined Meredith and Kenny out back ’til I called them all in for breakfast.

After breakfast the kids waded through the natural streams between the two main swimming areas.

The water was very cold…

…and beautifully clear, fed by underground springs.

This is where I will stop and mention that my husband is a wise man.

When we woke up he suggested, since it was nice and cool, that we check out the rock castle and the caves in the cliffs first AND THEN go swimming.

He was out-voted.

Needless to say, the kids and I paid the price shortly after.

To say the water was cold at 10:00 AM that morning is a gross understatement.

It was PAINFULLY COLD.

Imagine the feel of a needle piercing your skin…over and over.
Yep, that’s about it.

At one point, when I was perched on a large rock near the shore on the other side of the swimming area, I told Emelie “It is so biting cold I’m thinking about peeing just to warm myself up.” Shivering, Emelie said, “Go ahead. I won’t move.” You know you’re cold when you’re willing to be warmed by someone else’s pee, right?

A few minutes later I jokingly said, “Ahhhh…done. I just made me a bit of warmth.” Emelie looked at me and said, “Wait…you peed? I DIDN’T FEEL IT! Do it again.”

We laughed about that one for a while. Partially because it was funny and partially because she was being halfway honest.

Swimming back to the other side, I perched on a blanket on the sandy beach and the kids decided the only way to deal with the freezing water was to ban together and make a “go” of it as one.

On your mark. Get set.

GO!!!

Emelie was crowned the winner, and quickly ran back to shore to catch her breath.

As you might have noticed already, constant movement was the only way to deal with the freezing water temperature.

But it didn’t really seem to dampen the fun.

So much laughter.

So much joy.

And then, there was this.

“Look Momma, I’m fried chicken!”

Kenny ran up to roll her in the water.

It took a while, but we cleaned her up good.

Turner Falls park has two natural swimming “pool” areas on either side of the camp. A long stream runs through the camp from one swimming area to the other. We swam in the area just below the seventy-seven foot waterfall. Because of the drought, the waterfall was more on the light side, but the swimming was nice and the view was spectacular with steep cliffs, caves and trees all around us.

Jeff and Kenny went off to check out the trout in the streams down from us and Emelie, Meredith and I chilled on the beach a while to dry off.

And naturally, Emelie felt it should be documented that I fell asleep. The sound of the falls and the warm sun on my back was all it took.

Around 1:00 PM we headed back to the cabin to eat lunch, dry off, and change into shoes fit for climbing. After all, there was still a rock castle to traverse and we wanted to climb up to the Wagon Wheel cave we saw above the falls.

The first thing you should know about Dr. Collin’s castle is there is an endless amount of stairs.

Just when you think you’ve reached the last one, there are more.

See what I mean?

“Based on Old English Architecture. The Castle was constructed with native stone and materials in the early ’30s by Doctor Ellsworth Collins. He was a professor at Oklahoma University. The buildings served as “The Bar C Ranch” headquarters and for Dr. Collins summer home.”

We basically just set the kids free, because at every turn there was a new door, gate, window, and staircase to explore, and all of it was this great adventure.

Emelie has been taking a good deal of video footage on her iPod; this one cracked me up.

Meredith imprisoned.

If she’d only made her bed!!

Kenny was blazing his own trail. This was up and above (behind) the castle. He is ALL ABOUT THE CLIMB.

We tried to keep up.

I’d like to take this moment to point out that WHAT GOES UP, MUST COME DOWN.

And?

Coming down is nowhere near as easy!

Back at the castle.

Did I mention there were a lot of stairs?

Wide outside stairs.

Narrow inside stairs.

“Where-in-the-stinkin-heck-do-these-lead” stairs.

Even the “Don’t-let-your-brother-fall-back-on-your-head” stairs.

Lots and lots…

and lots and lots…

of stairs.

Good thing I don’t have stairophobia.

There were also hundreds upon thousands of daddy long legs pulsing on the ceilings in the deeper, darker areas.

Emelie even found a centipede in one of the upper rooms.

Though Dr. Collin’s rock castle was very interesting, I’m surprised the park hasn’t given it at least a little attention. It is literally crumbling down upon itself and I can’t imagine it will be open to the public for too many more years before it becomes a liability to let people freely walk through it.

After the castle, we climbed up to the Wagon Wheel cave, named for its large, rounded, 7 ft. opening. This cave is to the South of the pool right below Turner Falls.

You may notice there aren’t a lot of photos going up or coming down.

There is a reason for that.

It is, in a word, TREACHEROUS!

If you have ANY fear of heights, you’ll want to sit this one out.

The view from inside the Wagon Wheel cave is beautiful, but the final few steps to the cave entry goes across an extremely narrow precipice with very few places to stabilize one’s feet. I would have preferred the kids were tethered to the cliff.

I was holding them on one side, while Jeff held them from the other side, and I was still pretty sure it was a bad idea.

In the cave they declared their awesomeness. One or two times.

They all agreed to Emelie’s statement: “We can’t die or awesomeness will be extinct.”

I felt it my duty to take photos to document their awesomeness. Y’know, in case we didn’t make it down…and they became “extinct”.

Not sure if you remember what I said earlier, but GOING DOWN IS MUCH HARDER THAN CLIMBING UP!

Speaking of Awesome.

This is Mr. Awesome Sauce – in the flesh.

And this was our full view from the cave before we descended…slowly.

By the end of the day my calves were showing some muscle fatique.
Okay fine, my calves were screaming and shouting at me.

Next stop? Hutchinson, Kansas, where we descended 650 feet to an Underground Salt Museum!

About the Author: Heather Sanders is a work at home mom who homeschools her three children. If you’d like to learn if it’s possible for you to pursue your passions and earn an income while staying home with your kids, subscribe today.

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Charlie has a brand new children's book out, and it's all about the day a new calf comes into the world! She sleeps in Charlie's bed, hogs all the attention...and hilarity ensues. Hope you and your kiddos enjoy the book!